The first part discussed HaRav Meir Shapiro's deep
relationship with his Rebbe and mentor, the Chortkover Rebbe
Reb Yisroel Friedman zt"l. It also discussed his early
years as a rov, and his proposal of the Daf Yomi.

In Pietrikov

In 1925, a year after the launch of Daf Yomi, Reb Meir left
his homeland of Galicia to take up a position as rov of
Pietrikov in Poland. Although the city had a tradition going
back hundreds of years not to take a rov from outside Poland,
Reb Meir was an exception to the rule. Everyone looked upon
him as one of theirs; everyone regarded him as part of their
group. Reb Meir belonged to all of Klal Yisroel and
could not be classified as part of a specific group.

At the grand Kabolas Ponim which was arranged in his
honor, Reb Meir was jokingly asked, "When Moshiach comes and
there will be techiyas hameisim, all the previous
rabbonim of Pietrikov will also come back to life. What will
you do then?"

Without hesitation Reb Meir answered, "No doubt all the
generations of Pietrikov will also come back and each rov
will serve his community from his generation, and I will
continue to be rov for my generation."

"But what will the Rov do if only the rabbonim come back to
life and not their kehillos?" the questioner
persisted.

"A rov who was not able to ensure that his kehilloh
should be on the level to merit techiyas hameisim
is not a rov," Reb Meir answered simply. Although this
conversation was not meant to be a serious discussion, it
still nevertheless shows the deep responsibility that Reb
Meir felt for his kehilloh. He felt himself personally
accountable for the well-being of every single Yid in his
community.

Once again Reb Meir had to start from scratch to rebuild and
fortify the many broken fences which had been neglected over
the years. A major dispute which had broken out years earlier
between various rabbonim in the city also split the community
into two and the lack of cooperation between the two sides
had hurt other affairs as well. The dispute also lowered the
honor of the Torah in the eyes of the town. Everyone felt
qualified to offer his opinion regardless of the rabbonim who
opposed his ideas. Reb Meir had to work hard to assert his
influence, to make them appreciate that there was a
difference between a talmid chochom and a simple
person.

At a meeting of the heads of the kehilloh of
Pietrikov, Reb Meir was once publicly humiliated by one of
the members. The others present were incensed by his chutzpah
and demanded that the man apologize. "Why should I
apologize?" the man retorted. "Because the Rov is a talmid
chochom? Because he is a tzaddik? I don't believe
in any of that."

Seeing that the rest of the members were at a loss what to
answer, Reb Meir rose to his feet and exclaimed, "You know
why you have to apologize to me? Because people like you are
born by the thousands every night, whilst people like me are
born only once in thousands of nights. . ."

Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin

For a number of years Reb Meir had been walking around with a
plan that gave him no peace. The time had come, he felt, to
build a modern yeshiva with all the facilities that were
required so that bochurim would be able to learn in
the way which befitted the holy Torah. No longer would they
have to beg for a bed to sleep on or for a piece of bread, in
the community. Not only would such a yeshiva improve the
standard of their learning, it would also have a second vital
role. It would uplift the honor of the Torah and its scholars
across Poland and beyond.

Reb Meir envisioned a yeshiva that would be like no other. "I
see in my dreams a yeshiva the likes of which has never been,
not in size nor in splendor. No longer will talmidim
sleep in dark damp cellars and look for food like
beggars. I will build for them a yeshiva like a palace! In
the yeshiva every bochur will have a comfortable bed
with clean linen and room for all his needs. He will eat his
meal in a special dining room where he will feel as if he is
at home. No longer will he be looked down upon and be derided
for being a yeshiva bochur. The yeshiva will house the
best and the brightest heads of the Jewish people. The
yeshiva will become a center for Torah like Nahardo'o and
Pumbedisa in Bovel, a production line for the great
neshomos of Klal Yisroel. People will exclaim
about every talmid who learned in the yeshiva,
`Ashrei yoladeto,' happy is the one who gave birth to
such a son."

Reb Meir Shapiro was fully aware of what such an undertaking
entailed. He knew that for many years he would have no day or
night, he would have to sacrifice his every last second to
make such a dream become a reality. But in his great love of
the Torah, Reb Meir was willing to make such a sacrifice.

The first stage of Reb Meir's grand plan ran quite smoothly.
During a visit to the town of Lublin in Cheshvan 5684 (1924),
Reb Meir was shown around by one of its wealthy inhabitants,
Reb Shmuel Eichenbaum z"l. During the trip Reb Shmuel
showed Reb Meir a large plot of land in the center of the
town that he had bought some years earlier. Despite its prime
location, the land lay empty and Reb Shmuel did not know what
to do with it.

Reb Meir thought for a moment and said, "Reb Shmuel, I'm
going to offer you a business deal which far surpasses any
deal you have ever been offered until now." Wondering what
Reb Meir could possibly be referring to, Reb Shmuel told him
that he was willing to listen.

"I want part of this ground," Reb Meir replied. "It would be
just right for a yeshiva." Reb Shmuel's face shone with joy
at the idea and immediately promised Reb Meir the ground.

Building Starts

On Lag BaOmer 5684 (1924), Lublin was flooded with tens of
thousands of Yidden who came to take part in the hanochas
even hapinah. Among the vast crowds stood out the many
geonim and tzaddikim who had come from all over
to take part in the celebrations which were headed by the
Rebbes of Chortkov and Ger.

In a letter, one participant described the celebration:
"Praise be to Hashem, I returned from Lublin full and
satisfied with spiritual joy, having seen for the first time
in my life such a public demonstration of kovod HaTorah.
Approximately 50,000 Yidden took part, including
all the major rabbonim of Poland. When the Chortkover Rebbe
arrived, a royal division of police mounted on horses
surrounded his carriage. They escorted him to the platform
where he spoke to the assembled crowds.

"After he had finished speaking, the Gerrer Rebbe also spoke
and then the Chortkover Rebbe laid the first stone. It is
impossible to describe the atmosphere that prevailed here in
Lublin, all the windows in the town were decorated and
festooned. No one remembers such a great rejoicing as there
was here this week."

Once the celebrations had finished and the crowds had gone
back home, Reb Meir went back to work making his dream come
true. The first part had been much easier than he had
anticipated but the main job still lay ahead.

Reb Meir took to the road traveling the length and breadth of
Poland. Wherever he went, he delivered passionate speeches
begging people to have pity on themselves and their children
and to help him to raise the huge sums of money needed.

After almost two years of hard labor, Reb Meir succeeded in
raising over thirty thousand dollars. Although it was a
tremendous amount of money, it was less than a third of the
required sum. Reb Meir grew despondent and began to wonder if
he had indeed taken upon himself the impossible. He would
simply have abandoned the whole idea but he knew that if he
did, it would be a terrible chilul Hashem, not to
speak of the great disappointment that Yidden all over would
feel. A letter written by the Chortkover Rebbe to his
chassidim in America asking them for help, spells out clearly
the predicament Reb Meir found himself in.

"The yeshiva whose cornerstone we laid two years ago is not
yet completed. Thousands of Yidden are waiting
desperately for the day that light will shine forth from its
windows to dispel the darkness of the times, and to ease the
heavy burden of raising their children in the way of the
Torah, before they are influenced by the foreign winds that
seek to topple them. The donations that the Yidden in
Poland have contributed has already been used up, causing the
askonim to give up their work in despair. We can
already hear the voices of our opponents, who are mocking us
and the Torah. They are saying that for secular studies there
is plenty of money but when it comes to strengthening the
walls of the Torah, we are not able to raise the required
sum.

"At first when we saw the great joy on the faces of everyone
at the stone laying, our hearts were full of hope that we
would manage to complete the work from the contributions of
those who reside here. But much to our dismay, times have
changed and many have lost their wealth. Yidden have
become poverty stricken and all work on the yeshiva has
ceased.

"Therefore I request of you: not once and not twice have you
assisted your brothers here, please assist them now again by
helping my friend, the gaon Reb Meir Shapiro, to erect
these great stones and to engrave upon them the words of the
Torah. Let the gates of the yeshiva be opened already and
gather in it the holy flock who are thirsting to taste its
waters, before they are contaminated by other sources. The
zchus of the Torah and its students should protect and
shower upon all of us the goodness that Hashem has promised
us."

Finally Finished

In Teves 5690 (1930) the building of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin
was finally finished, almost five years after work first
started. The building had room for a thousand bochurim
to learn and dormitory facilities for 500. The yeshiva
also had a large library, which contained over 30,000
seforim. The modern dining room and adjacent kitchen
were also a novelty; each table was covered with a white
tablecloth and set with plates and cutlery. A sick room and
dentistry were also on the premises for medical treatment for
the bochurim. And the yeshiva also had its own
launderette so that the bochurim would not have to
waste time washing their clothes.

Even before the yeshiva opened its doors, long lines of
hopeful candidates formed, hoping to be admitted to its
ranks. But Reb Meir had one strict condition on which he
wasn't willing to compromise. Every bochur must be
tested on at least 200-blat gemora by heart. Through
this condition Reb Meir insured that only the best and the
elite would learn in the yeshiva. His plan was for the
yeshiva to produce the future gedolim of Klal
Yisroel. Here the greatest and the brightest bochurim
would be groomed and prepared to lead their people.

The Yeshiva is Opened

The 28th of Sivan 5690 (1930) was a date that millions of
Yidden throughout Poland and beyond were impatiently
awaiting. On that day the yeshiva would be officially opened
and Reb Meir would be crowned its rosh yeshiva and the rav of
Lublin. As the date grew nearer, the suspense and excitement
built to a peak. Never before in the history of Poland had
such a massive public demonstration of kovod HaTorah
taken place.

Two days before the grand opening, Reb Meir arrived in Lublin
on a train from Pietrikov. Thousands assembled at the station
to greet him and accompany him to his new home in the yeshiva
building. The following day the same scene repeated itself
when the Chortkover Rebbe arrived on a train from Vienna.

Reb Meir and the entire yeshiva went to the station to greet
the Rebbe. Before the train pulled into the station Reb Meir
begged his talmidim not to push when the Rebbe
arrived. Such conduct was not the way to greet a Melech
Yisroel. Rather, they should form two long rows and allow
the Rebbe to pass through the center. In their eagerness to
see the Rebbe many of the talmidim forgot Reb Meir's
request and started to run and to push in order to gain a
better view of the Chortkover Rebbe.

Reb Meir was visibly upset by their conduct and in front of
all those present, he humbly begged forgiveness from his
Rebbe for the disorder. The gaon Reb Tanchum
Rubinstein zt"l who was a talmid of Reb Meir
used to often recount the great impact that Reb Meir's
apology made on his new talmidim. The sight of the
great Rosh Yeshiva publicly apologizing in front of his young
talmidim, was a much more powerful lesson in middos
and humility than many a mussar discourse.

At three o'clock on the following day, the proceedings began
as the choir started to sing Mizmor Shir chanukas
habayis. Soon the vast crowd joined in the singing. The
sound of one hundred thousand voices all joined together with
praise to Hashem moved even the policemen watching the
proceedings.

As the song came to an end, a respectful silence fell on the
assembled. Reb Meir Shapiro had made his appearance flanked
by the Rebbe of Chortkov on one side and the Rebbe of Ger on
the other. Behind them came a long procession of rabbonim and
tzaddikim.

From a platform Reb Meir blessed the assembled in an
emotional voice, "Six years ago I greeted you all on an empty
and desolate plot of land. Now however, I bless you all from
the beis Hashem, from this magnificent building which
stands completed in all its splendor. Anyone, who looked with
a bit of his heart, was able to see the terrible situation
that young bochurim find themselves in. The `pas
bemelach' that the Mishna prescribes was a luxury
for many who used to go hungry. The young Torah scholar was
abused and ridiculed. Even if there were those who tried to
help their physical situation, nothing has been done to
elevate their social and emotional standing, and this is the
novelty and the revolution of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin."

After Reb Meir had finished his droshoh, the Rebbe
also addressed the crowds: "The gemora tells us that
the simchah of the consecration of the Mishkan
was like the simchah of a kallah under the
chuppah. The simchah of marriage does not stop
with the end of the chasunah. Rather the ending of the
chasunah heralds the beginning of a long new existence
for the new couple.

"Similarly, when the Mishkan was erected, the
simchah wasn't limited to the completion of the
building but rather extended to the avodoh which could
now start to take place within its walls. Today the very
Torah is rejoicing with its new home! With the completion of
the building the Torah can take up its new residence. The
start of the spiritual building can now begin.

"Chazal tell us that Betzalel who built the Mishkan
knew how to combine the holy letters of Hashem's Name
with which the heaven and earth were created. After the
Yidden had sinned with the Golden Calf, the
Shechinah in heaven became distanced from the earth.
Betzalel used his wisdom to construct the Mishkan in
such a way that the earth regained its former kedushoh
and the Shechinah in heaven returned back to the
earth. We are living nowadays in times of great spiritual
darkness. I hope and daven that through this
simchah the heavens will once again be reunited with
the earth."

After the Rebbe had finished speaking, the Gerrer Rebbe also
delivered his short blessing after which came the great
moment that everyone had been waiting for. Reb Meir took a
mezuzoh out of his pocket and handed it to the
Chortkover Rebbe. In front of one hundred thousands pairs of
eyes the Chortkover Rebbe took the mezuzoh and fixed
it to the front door post of the yeshiva. The yeshiva doors
were opened with a specially made golden key and a beaming
Reb Meir called out, "Just as the gates of the Yeshiva were
opened, similarly may Hashem open the gates of salvation for
the Yidden."

Inside the Yeshiva

It didn't take long for the yeshiva to make a name for
itself; many of the bochurim were accomplished
talmidei chachomim before they even joined the
yeshiva. The task of the yeshiva was to teach them and to
show them how to use their knowledge to the fullest, to train
them how to properly analyze what they had learned and to
draw the correct conclusions.

Reb Meir instituted a program of limud that was
divided into three sections. Each section took two years to
complete. The first two years were spent learning the
gemoras of Brochos, Shabbos, Pesochim and
Beitzah with the relevant halachos in Shulchan
Oruch. The bochurim would also have to know all
the various midroshim connected to the topics they
were learning plus the commentaries of the classic
meforshim on the Torah. Besides all the abovementioned
masechtos, the talmidim also had to learn
masechtas Yuma, Tomid, and Middos with all the
relevant halachos in the Rambam.

During the second stage of the yeshiva, the bochurim
would learn for semichoh. They had to acquire a
deep knowledge of all the necessary parts of Yoreh
De'ah which was learned together with Chulin and
Bechoros. In addition, they also had to be fluent in
hilchos challah and hilchos mikvo'os and the
halochos pertaining to the kashrus of sifrei Torah,
tefillin and mezuzas.

The final stage in the yeshiva was intended for those who
would take up positions as rabbonim. During these last two
years, the bochurim learned hilchos gittin,
chalitza, and takonos agunos, which was followed
by Chosen Mishpat which deals with all the various
monetary sha'alos. The talmid also had to
review the whole of seder Noshim and seder
Nezikin with the commentary of the Rosh. At the end of
the six-year course, the talmid was clearly ready to
assume a position as a rav or rosh yeshiva.

Looking at this unbelievable Seder Halimud, it is
clear why the yeshiva was intended only for iluyim.
Such a heavy and exhaustive program could only be tackled
by the elite. Reb Meir's talmidim did not let him
down, and many of them completed the program without a
problem.

The bochurim from the yeshiva became known as true
geonim, despite their youth. Many of them were fluent in all
of Shas. When one of the bochurim — Reb
Yosef Boim — published a sefer of his own
chiddushim on the Rambam, Reb Meir gave him a
haskomoh in which he wrote, "These lines serve to
testify about the great rav and boki Reb Yosef Boim
from Itbitza. From when he arrived in the yeshiva he has
mastered a thorough knowledge of the whole Talmud Bavli
and Yerushalmi and the many commentaries on them.
He is like a well, overflowing with chiddushim, and in
our generation is a rare and precious wonder."

Reb Yosef Boim wasn't the only one in his league. There were
many others like him too. They would no doubt have been
amongst the gedolim of Klal Yisroel had the
accursed Germans not destroyed them all.

Reb Meir's involvement in the progress of his talmidim
was a 24-hour-a-day job. In a letter written in support
of the yeshiva, the Boyaner Rebbe Reb Moshenu Friedman
zt"l wrote, "The rosh yeshiva Reb Meir Shapiro doesn't
limit himself just to giving a shiur to the
talmidim. He guides them and shows them how to improve
their middos. He davens with them and eats with
them and he knows how to instill into the heart of every
bochur that he must one day be a godol
beYisroel."

Indeed Reb Meir acted not just as a rebbe to his talmidim but
also as a father. If a bochur fell sick Reb Meir would
go immediately to visit him. On one occasion when Reb Meir
went to visit a sick bochur, the boy suddenly became
overcome with trembling and convulsions at the sight of the
Rosh Yeshiva. Reb Meir was rather taken aback and after he
managed to calm the bochur, he asked him what caused
the convulsions.

"In my previous yeshiva, "the boy explained, "It was unheard
of for the rosh yeshiva to visit a sick talmid. Only
if the talmid was desperately ill would the rosh
yeshiva make a visit. Seeing the Rosh Yeshiva, I suddenly
became worried that really I have a dangerous illness which
the doctor hadn't told me about."

The Rov smiled at his words and said, "To me every talmid
is like a son, a father doesn't wait to visit his child
until he is dangerously ill, he goes on the first day. . .
"

On the Way to Chortkov

Even after Reb Meir became rosh yeshiva and his every moment
was dedicated to the yeshiva and the bochurim, he
still managed to make time to travel often to Chortkov. Every
few months Reb Meir would leave the yeshiva in order to spend
a Shabbos in the company of the Rebbe. Each time Reb Meir
would take along with him a group of his talmidim so
that they could taste for themselves the meaning of a Shabbos
in Chortkov.

A description of one such trip was highlighted in the paper
Dos Yiddishe Togblatt by one of the participants. "The
Shabbos after Shavuos 5691 (1931) is engraved in my mind as
one of the most memorable Shabbosim of my yeshiva life. The
Chortkover Rebbe had come from his home in Vienna to his
court in Chortkov, and our rosh yeshiva the Lubliner Rov, Reb
Meir Shapiro, was taking fifteen talmidim along with
him to see the Rebbe.

"We left the yeshiva in high spirits and made our way to the
train station. Very soon the train was on its way towards
Chortkov. The Rov launched into a conversation about the
topic of the day, namely divrei Torah and stories that
centered on the Rebbe of Chortkov. His voice full of awe and
respect, the Rov related each story with such reverence that
it evoked in him new feelings of wonder and veneration
towards his Rebbe. Only now did we finally begin to
understand the concept of `a true chossid.'

"So the journey continued whilst we sat open-mouthed,
hungrily devouring every word that left the Rov's mouth. From
time to time the Rov switched topics and reverted back to the
gemora we were learning. One pilpul followed
another and then he suddenly changed the conversation back to
Chortkov again and then back to the gemora and so on.
Throughout the journey the Rav kept us captivated and
enthralled. One minute he was speaking as the `humble
chossid', the next minute as the `great rosh
yeshiva.'

"We arrived in Chortkov refreshed and invigorated. After a
short rest we went to the Rebbe's home to greet him. One
cannot describe the great joy with which the Rebbe and the
Rov greeted each other. The Rov introduced us to the Rebbe
with the words, `I have brought the Rebbe a tithe!' At that
point 150 boys learned in the yeshiva.

"The Rebbe showed great interest in us and inquired about
conditions in the yeshiva. Even the minutest details were of
concern to him.

"Friday night after davening, the Rebbe recited
Kiddush in front of his chassidim. The whole assembly
stood transfixed watching the Rebbe's every move and action.
We felt elevated, almost like in another world. This was
especially true of the Rov. Throughout the tish he did
not remove his gaze from the Rebbe. His normally confident
posture was replaced with one of humility, as he absorbed his
Rebbe's every nuance.

"After the Rebbe had recited Kiddush and given a
dvar Torah, the short tish ended. The Rov
accompanied by his talmidim returned to his
accommodation where a joyous seudah soon got under
way. During the course of the night many other chassidim
came in to join the Rov and hear his divrei Torah
and stories. The sounds of the zemiros and singing
carried on until the early hours of the morning."

Sustaining the Yeshiva

As the years went by, the difficulty of paying for the daily
running of the yeshiva kept on growing. Once again Reb Meir
took to the road and traveled up and down Poland to raise
funds for the yeshiva. No one knew about the financial
worries of the yeshiva. Reb Meir didn't want the news to leak
out. He was afraid that it might affect the happy atmosphere
amongst the bochurim which was important for their
learning. Only when the local council switched off the water
to the yeshiva did the secret get out.

In a letter written at the time, Reb Meir writes, "What can I
tell you? We are drowning in a sea of troubles; the situation
is terrible. The yeshiva is hovering between life and death,
struggling to stay open, and we have no one to help us.
Despite our wish to increase the amount of bochurim,
we have decided that such a step is impossible. If only
we could manage to sustain those already here."

In the meanwhile, help came for the yeshiva from a rather
unexpected corner. The giant insurance firm Prudential opened
a branch of their firm in Poland. In order to attract
customers, they approached well-known public figures and
offered them a life insurance policy with their firm.
Prudential promised Reb Meir that if he agreed to take out a
life insurance policy with them, they would lend him the
money to cover all the yeshiva's debts. Reb Meir agreed to
the deal and thus the yeshiva was saved — at least for
the time being.

On a few occasions Reb Meir said bitterly, "It seems that
only through my death will the yeshiva be saved," a statement
that was later borne out. Indeed when he was asked how he
intended to pay back the loan when it was due, Reb Meir
answered, ominously quoting the Zohar Hakodosh, "Some
people pay with their money and some people pay with their
bodies."

To Prepare the Way

Just as in his lifetime Reb Meir was regarded by all as
unique, so was his death regarded as a unique culmination to
such a special life. And just as during his lifetime Reb Meir
was totally bound to his Rebbe, so in death did he remain
inextricably linked to his Rebbe.

On Hoshanoh Rabbah 5694 (1933), Reb Meir revealed to his
talmidim a dream he had had that night. Although the
talmidim were quite taken aback by the dream's
message, Reb Meir retold the dream in a calm and accepting
tone.

In his dream he found himself face to face with the Alter
Chortkover Rebbe and his son Reb Yisroel, the present Rebbe.
The Rebbe introduced Reb Meir to his father and extolled his
many praises. "If he really is so great and so capable," the
Alter Rebbe responded. "We should summon him here in Heaven."
Reb Yisroel of Chortkov tried to intercede on behalf of Reb
Meir and asked that he be spared, for he was still needed in
this world. Nonetheless, two weeks later the dream became a
reality.

After Succos, another puzzling development occurred. Reb Meir
suddenly announced that very soon he would be moving to
Eretz Yisroel. In fulfillment of this wish, Reb Meir
started to deliver a daily shiur concerning the
halachos of Eretz Yisroel. He kept on repeating to his
talmidim: "Very soon I am going to move to Eretz Yisroel
to prepare the way for my Rebbe, the Rebbe of Chortkov,
in fulfillment of the posuk, `Ve'es Yehuda sholach
lefonov, And he sent Yehuda before him.' " (Reb Meir's
full name was Reb Yehuda Meir.)

When Reb Meir was niftar on the 7th of Cheshvan 1933, the
family of the Chortkover Rebbe refused to let him know for
fear that it would affect his poor health. The Rebbe however,
felt by himself that his faithful chossid was no longer alive
and when he also quoted the same posuk, "Ve'es Yehuda
sholach lefonov," everyone understood the meaning. Reb
Meir had gone ahead to prepare the way for the Rebbe! And
indeed, just five weeks later on the 13th of Kislev, the
Chortkover Rebbe was also niftar.

Only with Joy

Tuesday the 4th of Cheshvan 5694 (1933) the bochurim
were rather surprised when Reb Meir didn't turn up on
time for the early morning shiur. Normally, he was the
first one there. As the minutes ticked by, they realized that
something must have happened.

When Reb Meir didn't turn up for shacharis either, the
bochurim went to his home to see where he was. Reb
Meir was lying in bed with a bad cold. The doctor who was by
his bedside said there was no cause for worry. The Rosh
Yeshiva simply had a bout of flu.

The following day Reb Meir's condition worsened, a swelling
had developed in his throat making it difficult for him to
breathe. Other doctors were summoned to his bedside but they
also said that there was no cause for worry and in a few days
he would be better again. By Thursday, Reb Meir had no
strength left to even talk, as the hours ticked by, he grew
gradually weaker but still the doctors remained
unperturbed.

Late Thursday night it became clear that Reb Meir's remaining
minutes were limited. On a piece of paper he wrote an
instruction to the talmidim around his bed, "Everyone
should drink lechayim." In a flash a bottle and cups
were produced and the bochurim drank
lechayim.

Reb Meir stretched out his hand and shook the hand of each
and every bochur. After they had all gone around, Reb
Meir made a sign that they should sing one of his niggunim
to the words, "Becho botchu avoseinu." In the
middle of the song he beckoned to them to form a circle
around his bed and then on a scrap of paper he wrote his
final two words, "Rak besimchah."

The bochurim danced around his bed singing and crying
whilst in the middle lay Reb Meir, his face shining like an
angel. With his hand he beckoned to them to go faster, to
sing louder, until suddenly, Reb Meir's holy neshomoh
flew upwards to meet the gedolei hadoros who were
waiting to greet him.